1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to visualizing assets in a file system or other data storage.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the above-referenced U.S. patent application, we recognized that the World Wide Web and other information repositories such as online databases and file servers afford quick access to a large amount of information, and that such information must be managed. As set forth in the parent application, it is typically the case that assets on the Web, e.g., Web pages, display not only information but also include reference pointers, referred to as hyperlinks, to other assets (e.g., Web pages, images, audio files, etc.) on the Web. A user browser can be operated to select a hyperlink and thereby cause the pointed-to asset to be displayed on a user""s computer. It is to be appreciated that while the discussion below focusses on the Web, the present invention is also directed to file servers in which the assets can be files that might include reference pointers to other files in the system.
To create a Web page with attendant hyperlinks, a software program known as an authoring tool can be used. Authoring tools, however, do not guarantee that pointed-to assets are actually published (i.e., written to the Web server). Also, as understood by the present invention authoring tools typically maintain internal/local repositories of information and can perform local checks on the validity of links, but they do not directly manage the final published assets on the Web server and, hence, cannot guarantee link validity after publication. Moreover, since asset management is typically not coordinated, new versions of pointed-to assets can be published and new versions of pointing assets can be published with old, out-of-date hyperlinks. Furthermore, the lack of asset management on the Web server can result in an asset being moved, inadvertently or maliciously, from where the hyperlink indicates the asset is. Often, pointers to assets become valid only after the pointed-to assets are placed by hand on the server via a manual or automated process (e.g., a program). Consequently, it is frequently the case that a user selecting a hyperlink will be presented with a xe2x80x9cfile not foundxe2x80x9d message. This is time consuming and frustrating.
The above-referenced application carefully considered the above problems and has provided the solutions set forth therein to provide guarantees that links are not broken (no xe2x80x9cfile not foundxe2x80x9d messages). The present invention extends the management to an easily extensible visualization system that supports a variety of heterogenous data sources, that integrates external applications and services to promote the efficient and effective management of data, and that is platform-independent and can provide for remote access.
A computer-implemented method for visualizing data objects on plural Web servers includes presenting a visual display of Web servers and hyperlinks associated therewith, and determining that a hyperlink is a broken hyperlink when the broken hyperlink points to a data object not represented in a database. The method then includes indicating the broken hyperlink on the visual display. In one preferred embodiment, the hyperlink is indicated as being broken by highlighting the broken hyperlink.
The preferred display presents graphics objects representing heterogenous data objects. A user can manipulate the graphics object to change the database thereby. The graphics objects are presented in accordance with layout classes. Further, a data class contains data objects to be displayed by transforming the objects using an associated pipe class to render a transformed data object and then parsing the transformed data object using a domain class. The parsed data is sent to a layout class, for generating a graphics object to be presented on the display as a representative of the data object. This preferred architecture is extensible and supports a variety of heterogenous data sources, integrates external applications and services to promote the efficient and effective management of data, and is platform-independent.
In another aspect, a computer system for visualizing data objects in a data repository such as at least one Web server or at least one file system includes a database of heterogenous data classes. Each data class contains information on a respective type of data object. At least one domain class accesses the data classes, and plural pipe classes are used by the domain class for accessing respective data classes. Also, plural layout classes receive data from the domain class for presenting graphics objects representative of data objects.
In still another aspect, a computer program product includes a program of instructions embodying method acts that include presenting graphics objects on a display. As intended by the present invention, the graphics objects represent heterogenous data objects. Links between graphics objects are displayed as being representative of links between data objects, and a user can manipulate at least the graphics objects to thereby change the associated data object.
The details of the present invention, both as to its structure and operation, can best be understood in reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like parts, and in which: